The Brooklyn Nets are on the precipice of an extremely disappointing playoff exit after going down 3-0 to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Things have not gone well at all for Brooklyn in the playoffs, and their misery has been compounded by the fact that their superstars are struggling while showing very few signs of being able to turn it around in time.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are an excellent one-two punch when it comes to scoring, but they have been suffocated and shut down by a determined Celtics defense. Boston was one of the best defensive teams in the regular season and that seems to have gone up a notch in the playoffs, they have limited Kevin Durant to shooting just 36% from the field.
And while excuses are not something fans of the franchise and those that have expectations from the Nets want to hear, coach Steve Nash has given his explanation as to why his biggest stars aren’t being able to step it up when the team needs them the most.
“I mean, they’ve both got to be tired. I mean, Kyrie’s fasting and Kevin’s had to play 40+ minutes for 5-6 weeks after missing 6-7 weeks. And fasting is… it can’t be easy. I go play tennis and I haven’t eaten and I fall over, so I can’t imagine how he feels in an NBA playoff game. I commend how hard he plays considering, and how much minutes they both had to play this year just for us to be in this position.”
Kyrie Irving doesn’t eat between sunrise and sunset as he is following the holy month of Ramadan, while his home absences earlier in the season are what caused KD to play extended minutes. These reasons might be factors but if the duo goes out playing poorly while getting swept, it will likely leave quite a mark on their legacies when everything is said and done.
